September 22, 2025 — Curt Brown is a commercial lobsterman and marine biologist with Bold Coast Seafood in Maine. Leann Cyr is the executive director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) and a health and safety researcher. Bob Rheault is the executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association and a long-time shellfish farmer in Rhode Island. Scott Hickman is a Texas-based charter and commercial fisherman who chairs the Texas Sea Grant Advisory Board.
The U.S. maritime economy is growing faster than the economy as a whole, supporting over 2.6 million jobs and contributing USD 511 billion (EUR 434 billion) to the nation’s GDP.